, 1887-02-17
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
The Subsidy Bill Amended
Passes Congress.
Stronger Restrictions In the An
ii POIygamy Bill.
A War Spirit Still Existing i'm
Europe.
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON, feb. j2'-Mr. Morgan
moved to amend the subsidy amend
ment bill by using instead Of the
word "built' the words "owned and
otiicered" so that the sentence will
read "For transportation of foreign
mails by foreign owned and oflicered
steamships Also to add paragraph
Us follows: "Such steamships so
owned and oliiccred, shall be entitled
to be enrolled, registered and licensed
as American built ships while they
are employed in the execution Of said
contracts for transportation of foreign
mail" Mr.. Beck opposed the subsidy
amendment. The extract from the
postmaster generals report, he said, he
had heard Of before but he had in
committee and out OF committee in
sisted that false construction
was put on it, aud that
the post Office department was as much
h opposed to this subsidy ms it had been
% u subsidy last year. The proposed
Fbubsidy was not in the interest of the
pOstotlice department., but would be to
the injury OF the postoflice depart
mcnt. A majority of the committee
had seen lit TO assume that the lam
guage of the postmaster generals re-
port was in accordance with the sub
sidy amendments, and therefore he
had himself applied to the postmaster
general on the subject and had re-
ccivcd IL letter which he would now
read to the senate, The postmaster
general says in this letter "A fair
reading of my two reports, one for
1880 and the other for 1886, was, un-
| m t1,,
the only object or purpose in view or
suggested in the last report was that
Inc obtain the carriage OF mails to South
American republics, double service
to Brazil TO such cheap and cconomi-
cal figures as would be necessary for
the purpose and that no idea of the
the Subsidy, 0or the mere creation OF II
line OF trade and travcD, was proposed.
There are companies nominally or
actually of foreign organization which,
| believe, would compete for this SER
vice and furnish it at comparatively
cheap figures. l believe also that If
that competition were admitted, an
American company would secure the
service instead OF foreign companies,
ut fair remuneration and not be the
recipients of subsidy. ! think there is
good reason to expect this result, if an
o,portunity be afforded; and that an
enlargement of our postal facilities may
be secured with no vicious course of
subsidy legislation to bring it about.
1t was in this belief that the sugges-
ton in my last report of 1856 was
made. [ cannot anticipate
what may be said, un fairly perhaps
in criticism OF the report or in support
of the assertion that the suggestion
for this new service is inconsistent
with the position taken in my report
Of 1886. ] think, mt least that see n
distinction; that distinction itself is
clear and srlbstantiated, and that an
extension Of the postal service may be
secured uscfl,lly and desirably without
the payment of dollar of subsidy, but
only by giving fair remuneration for
{Rery limited mail carriage at the be-
thinning.
~ After tho taking up Of the trade
dollar bill Lanham, OF Texas, repre-
senting the minority of the commit
tee on coinage, weights and measures,
offered an amendment providing that
within six months after the passage of
the act, all trade dollars not mutilatcd
or defaOed shall be received
ut their face value, for payne ents
Of all dues tothc United States that
any holder OF trade dollars may ex-
change tho same for standard silver
dollars or subsidiary coin, and that
trade dollars received by the treasurer
either in payment or exchange shall
be received, rccoincd into standard
siiver dollars or Subsidiary coin At the
option of tho secretary of the treasury.
\ Warner, lf,Ohio, offered an amend-
DAC providing specifically that the
ykecoiuago Of silver dollars shall not b
~ par OF the silver bullion required 70
10 pnrchssed monthly AND coined into